LCHS remote teaching starts today, Monday: LCHS teacher Tim Stuckey keeping students engaged

 

[April 13, 2020] 

With schools in Illinois having to move to remote teaching, teachers are finding different ways to keep their students engaged and connected.

Lincoln Community High School Science teacher Tim Stuckey explained his strategies for teaching remotely. Stuckey said, “I haven't used any particular apps yet to do ‘live’ online teaching.”

For the first two weeks of school closure, Stuckey said the schools were in something of a "holding pattern.” During those weeks, the Illinois State Board of Education said teachers shouldn't move forward in the curriculum during that time.

The ISBE told schools they should focus first on feeding programs and Stuckey said the Lincoln schools have done an impressive job with the school lunch programs.

Since teachers weren't supposed to cover new curriculum, the ISBE told teachers they should focus on maintaining a "connection" with kids. Stuckey said, “I really enjoy my job, and one of my favorite parts of being a high school teacher is using humor whenever I can to keep the students engaged.”

Stucky figured humor would be the best way to maintain that connection. He did that by putting short video clips of some of his corny jokes on YouTube and Google Classroom for his students.

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The remote teaching will actually begin for LCHS students on April 13. Stuckey said that is completely different because not everyone has the same high-speed internet access or computer capability to login simultaneously the way that colleges are able.

Therefore, Stuckey said, “We have to be very creative in finding ways to enhance learning. Additionally, the ISBE has stated that this school closure should not adversely affect the students' grades. That means I need to find interesting assignments, or the students will simply not do them.

To utilize technology and provide “hands-on assignments,” Stuckey is developing internet based projects for some of his classes. For one assignment, Stuckey’s life science classes will do a research project on a specific reptile or amphibian. In another assignment, they can make a “stop motion” movie about an animal.

Internet-based activities in Stuckey’s physical science classes will include a NASA solar system research project and a “planet tour guide” brochure the students will make. The brochures will share information about one of our solar system’s major projects.

Stuckey is trying to make his assignments both fun and educational as students learn remotely.

[Angela Reiners]